Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2009 USA Today
If there was any silver lining to the devastation that Hurricane Katrina wrought in New Orleans four years ago, perhaps it is this: The water washed away one of the nation's worst school systems and left New Orleans determined to rebuild in a wholly new way.
Since the fall of 2005, the schools have been slowly climbing out of the cellar. The city attracted a nationally known school reformer, superintendent Paul Vallas, and so many teachers that it has 10 applicants for every opening. Last year, the school district was able to spend $15,500 per pupil -- twice what it spent before Katrina and far above the national average. Scores have risen on both state and national tests.
But for all its recent advantages, the district remains saddled with daunting problems. Nearly a third of the city's children live in poverty, according to the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center. The vast majority of students live in single-parent homes; many are being raised by siblings or foster parents or are on their own. More than half are at least one year older than is typical for their grade level.
As the song says about New York, if they can fix schools here, they can fix them anywhere. It is too soon to tell whether they can, but at least New Orleans is teaching the nation a few things about what it takes to try.
*Innovation. New Orleans has embraced charter schools as no other city has. The Recovery School District's 38 charters, with 11,600 students, outnumber its 30 traditional schools. While the label, "charter," doesn't ensure success, the charter model -- taxpayer funded, publicly chartered but run by independent operators -- has achieved striking successes in other places. It encourages fresh thinking, makes principals and teachers accountable and does away with bureaucratic shackles, such as retaining poorly performing teachers just because of tenure. Charters are among the city's best performing schools, and Vallas has grafted the model's best ideas onto traditional schools, giving principals the autonomy to hire, fire and promote.
*Competition. Students are no longer bound by geography; all schools are open to everyone. Schools must compete for students and the attention of picky parents, as well as for their very survival. Unlike the old days, when failing schools limped on forever, Vallas promises to close non-performing schools. One charter closed already.
*Toughness. The road to improvement is paved with tough changes. Most school days are much longer than pre-Katrina; the school year is nearly 11 months long. Students are periodically given benchmark tests, so schools can intervene quickly to help failing students and deal with failing teachers.
*Patience. There has been marked improvement. State assessment scores were a dramatic 10 points higher last year than in 2004-05. But the district still ranked 65th among the state's 68 districts. Tulane University President Scott Cowen, one of the architects of the new system, praises the progress but says it could "take a generation" to get the ultimate results. The schools are battling challenges that come from decades of failure in the classroom and poverty at home.
One danger? That national and community attention, which have lured so much talent to the schools, will evaporate as change seems to take too long.
That would be tragic. While new levees, new buildings and returning residents are bringing the city to life, only a new generation of educated children can make it thrive.
CAPTION(S):
GRAPHIC, B/W, Alejandro Gonzalez, USA TODAY, Source: Tulane University's Cowen Institute (Bar graph)
Gale Document Number:CJ206500234